Should I just take the ACT?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hi guys! I'm a junior and this summer I got a 31 on the ACT without a lot of prep. Would it be detrimental to not take the SAT? I plan on taking SAT2s and the PSAT, but would I be looked down upon for selective schools? Thanks!</p>

2

<p>It doesn’t matter which one you take. Virtually all of the top schools these days essentially say that and they mean it. More people actually took the ACT than the SAT last year.</p>

3

<p>Thank you! Any more opinions?</p>

4

<p>According to Harvard’s Common Data Set (C9 data point): <a href=“http://oir.harvard.edu/files/huoir/files/harvard_cds_2011-2012.pdf”>http://oir.harvard.edu/files/huoir/files/harvard_cds_2011-2012.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Percent submitting SAT scores = 90%
Percent submitting ACT scores = 32% </p>

<p>It would seem as though 10% of admitted students submitted just the ACT – so those students were not looked down upon. (If my reading of the data is correct, 22% of admitted students submitted both their SAT and ACT scores.)</p>

<p>Do what you feel is best: submit the ACT, or SAT or both – as Falcon1 said “It doesn’t matter” as Harvard treats both tests equally. Ditto for all other selective colleges. In fact, some colleges like Yale, seem to believe the ACT is just as valuable as the SAT plus 2 SAT Subject tests. See: <a href=“http://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing”>http://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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